Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. government said it is concerned about violence against refugees in Sudan's western region of Darfur after several were injured in a police operation at a camp for people displaced during the civil war.

``We are concerned by indiscriminate weapons fire by Sudanese government forces'' on the Kalma camp in Darfur, the State Department said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. ``We call on the government of Sudan to thoroughly investigate this incident and ensure that such actions are not repeated. The United States deplores all violence in Darfur.''

The United Nations received reports of attacks in Kalma that ``resulted in injuries and deaths of civilians,'' Ameerah Haq, the UN's top emergency relief official in Sudan, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement from the capital, Khartoum.

The authorities in Darfur confirmed the attack, saying police were responding to fire from the camp that wounded five officers, the state news agency Suna reported, citing the South Darfur state's security committee.

Police went to the camp after the reported arrival of a weapons shipment, Suna said on its Web site. It described Kalma as a haven ``for outlaws, armed robbers and rebel movements.''

Allow Evacuations

The UN said authorities in Sudan should allow the evacuation of the injured people from Kalma. About 80,000 people live in the camp outside the southern Darfur city of Nyala. The UN didn't specify how many were killed or injured.

The conflict in Darfur began in February 2003, when insurgents demanding a greater share of Sudan's political power and wealth attacked government forces.

President Umar al-Bashir's government responded by sending troops and arming mainly Arab militias known as the Janjaweed to attack people in areas accused of supporting the rebels. The U.S. has described the government's response as genocide.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said in July he is seeking the arrest of Bashir, alleging he bears ``criminal responsibility'' for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Sudan isn't a signatory to the ICC and doesn't recognize its legitimacy.

As many as 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the region, according to the UN.

To contact the reporters on this story: James Peng in Sydney at jpeng7@bloomberg.net; Karl Maier in Rome at kmaier2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 26, 2008 02:20 EDT